The affordances of narrative group music therapy with adolescents who self harm

Abstract

This qualitative study examined how adolescent participants who self-harm narrate motivations for and experiences of self-harm and what a narrative group music therapy process could afford them. Seven participants from a high school in South Africa who engage in self-harm attended narrative group music therapy sessions for six weeks. Multiple interventions were used to create opportunities for self-expression within sessions. Narratives that emerged during this therapeutic process were analysed. Five main narratives were identified: “who I am, becoming and strive to be,” “relationships,” “worldview,” “self-harm,” “music therapy.”